


A Christmas Plot

by DownToTheSea



Category: Sanctuary (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-25 04:21:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17114372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DownToTheSea/pseuds/DownToTheSea
Summary: Helen interrupts Nikola's grand plans for her holiday present.





	A Christmas Plot

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tinknevertalks](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinknevertalks/gifts).



> Written for tinknevertalks as part of the Teslen Flashfic Christmas Exchange on Tumblr, for the prompt: "Mistletoe, fairy lights, champagne kisses... Basically sweetness and light stuff. XD" I may have taken fairy lights a little too literally, haha. I hope you enjoy this, and nadolig llawen!! (I hope that's right XD) <333

It was sheer chance that Helen happened to be walking through the underground residents’ wing when she was. If not for that, it was possible she would never have caught Nikola. (Although she likely could have predicted it; he tried something like this nearly every year.)

“Remember now,” she heard him saying. “As soon as she walks in on her gift rounds next week.” A chorus of quiet chimes followed this.

“Alright, from the top.”

Helen’s eyebrows shot up, and she halted. Nikola was in one of the smaller caverns to the side, hidden behind a curve of the wall, and a plethora of multi-colored lights were playing across the ground within. She stopped, peering around the corner.

Nikola stood with his back to her, his hands raised as if conducting an orchestra, while a cluster of chattering fairies bounced in the air in front of him, the bright glow emanating from their bodies drowning out their features and rendering them as little spots of light at this distance. The light changed in time with the motion of his hands, a veritable rainbow lighting up the cavern as they danced in a glimmering display of colors.

“No, no, no,” Nikola said after only a moment, dropping his hands. “We should start out with red. It’s symbolic, after all. You know, when I met Helen – ”

A series of tiny bell-like noises immediately overrode whatever he was about to say, some sounding amused, others irritated. The lights flashed even brighter and more chaotically.

“A hundred? Don’t be ridiculous.” From his tone, Helen could tell he wasn’t being  _ entirely  _ sincere. “Back to the opening montage of her favorite colors, or else we’ll never get through this in time.”

“Get through what, Nikola?” Helen asked, coming forward.

Nikola spun around, a look of such horror on his face that Helen was tempted to laugh. “Helen!” His voice sounded strangled. “What are you doing down here?”

“My job,” Helen said evenly. “What are  _ you  _ doing down here? I believe you told me you were going to be working with Henry this afternoon.”

Nikola’s mouth worked soundlessly. “I – well, you know – ” The fairies chimed behind him, and he said rather quickly, “Wolf-boy was annoying me with his incessant rambling, so I went for a walk.”

Helen pursed her lips.

“And ran into this group of – ” Nikola stopped, turning around with an annoyed look. “Oh, please, you wouldn’t know artistry if it hit you with a truck.”

He turned back to Helen as she raised an eyebrow. “And?”

“And…” Nikola sighed. “Oh what the hell, you already know anyway. I can tell by that, mmm, delightful knowing look in your eyes...” He took a step forward, but Helen held up a hand.

“One moment, Nikola.” A hint of mischief crept into her voice. “As Sanctuary leader, it’s my solemn duty to prevent any and all plotting by certain vampires in my residence.”

“Oh?” Nikola’s eyes gleamed. “What if it’s fun plotting?”

“Such as getting the fairies to perform some complicated light show for me instead of simply giving me a Christmas present like everyone else is going to?” Helen asked.

He shrugged, grinning. “I mean, maybe. It was supposed to be a coordinated thing, between my manipulating the Christmas lights with my electricity and their…” He waved a hand, muttering, “You know, bouncing around being fairy-y. And I was gonna get you a present too.”

Helen had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. “I’m afraid that qualifies as quite a dastardly plot.” Her arm snaked around him. “I may not even want to let you out of my sight until Christmas.”

The grin widened and he edged closer. “Really?” Behind him, the fairies were giggling and chattering amongst themselves, a symphony of lights and colors shining through the cave. Nikola turned and shooed them away.

“Hey, go spy on someone else! Important Sanctuary stuff, going on here.”

With a few peals of outright laughter, the fairies darted as one to the other side of the cavern and flew out through another side room.

“Well, what are you going to do with me now?” Nikola murmured.

Helen leaned over, kissing him on the corner of his lips. “I’ll have to think of something appropriate. Perhaps in the meantime, I could keep you under guard upstairs at lunch?”

“Are we stopping by the wine cellar first?”

“Naturally.”

He looked delighted and kissed her again quickly, pulling back and gazing at her with bright eyes. “Oh, I love you.”

Helen’s mouth twitched with amusement, but she lifted his hand and pressed her lips lightly to his fingers, winding them through her own when she was done.

As they walked along hand-in-hand, Helen reflected that whatever Nikola was expecting from their little lunch date, the rather large sprig of mistletoe above her office door might catch him pleasantly by surprise.

“You’re plotting something,” Nikola accused, clearly enthralled at the very prospect.

Helen only smiled.


End file.
